Donald Trump cabinet's ambassador to Italy reportedly preferred candidate for new Connecticut Sun owner after relocation meets $325 million roadblock

The Connecticut Sun have been in a peculiar situation for the past few months. The WNBA team saw several of its key players leave, with lack of resources being one of the main reasons for their departure.

The Mohegan Tribe, who owns the team, has reportedly been looking to sell the franchise. The league narrowed down the buyer list to three key personalities.

Steve Pagliuca is one of the potential buyers and had an agreement with The Mohegan Tribe in July to purchase the franchise for $325 million.

However, that deal fell off as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert didn't present it to the league's board of directors. The most recent potential buyer was Marc Lasry, the former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, who matched Pagliuca's $325 million offer.

Amid the growing drama, Front Office Sports' sources familiar with the sale revealed that the league prefers the Sun to relocate to Houston. The key player to make this happen is Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. He is living in Italy as the ambassador for the Donald Trump administration.

The league wants Fertitta to bid the same amount as the other interested buyers and cover the reallocation fees. However, that decision lies with the Rockets owner.

Pagliuca wants to move the franchise to Boston, while Lasry intends to keep it in Connecticut but relocate to Hartford. Sun fans and players can only wait to see how the situation unfolds and who ends up as the franchise's new owner.

The Connecticut Sun have a resource problem that needs to be addressed

The WNBA has had an immense increase in popularity in the last few years. With more eyes on the league than ever, many franchises played their part in helping players get the best facilities and resources.

The Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm have dedicated practice facilities. The New York Liberty and Indiana Fever are in line to have their dedicated facilities soon. Most of the other WNBA teams have shared facilities with their brother franchises from the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun have lagged behind the competition when it comes to providing for their players. It has become a major concern for them while playing for the franchise.

"It was a really big part of my decision (to leave)," former Connecticut center Jonquel Jones said in March, via The Athletic.

"But I also just think it's less about me and more about these women who really deserve that and have worked all their lives to be WNBA players and be playing at the highest level. And I think the facilities and the level of investment has to support that."

The Sun are at the bottom of the standings this season with a 6-26 record. They have become a shadow of what they once were, and big changes need to be introduced by the owner for the team to succeed.